Stuffer



March 1, 11932. c, w, HQTTMANN 1,847,690

STUFFER Filed De`o. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-SheetI l y ATTORNEY.

March L 41932. l c. w. Ho'rTMANN 1,847,590

' sfrUFFER Filed Deo. s1, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 IN VEN TOR @ZW/n wim BY t ATTURNEY Patented Mar. 1, 17932 siren STATES PATENT oFFIcE CHARLES vW. HOTTMANN, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA STUFFER Application led.V December 31, 1928. Serial No. 329,382.-

The object of this invention is to devise a novel stuifer which is especially adapted for feeding sausage meat into casings.

A further object is to devise al stuifer which can be continuously operated and in which the material can be returned from the com-` pressor chamber to the feed chamber when the material is not being stuffed.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter clearly appear, my invention comprehends a novel stuifer.

lt further comprehends a4 novel stuifer wherein novel means are provided forv feeding the material to be stuffed. to the material compressor member which forces rial into the casings. i

It further comprehends a novel construc-v tion and arrangement of a compressor member and its adjuncts. l

It further comprehends novel means for effecting the return of the material from the compressor member of the feed chamber when the stumng operation is suspended', and novel the mate- F or the purpose of illustrating` thev inven` tion, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a typical embodiment of it, which, in practice, will give reliable and satisfactory Figure 3 is an end elevation of the stuffer.V

Figure 4 is a section on line 1 -4 of Figure 2. f Y Y means for controlling the feed of the com'-y results. Itis, however, to be understood'that Figure 5 is a view of the valve in detached position. f

Similar numeralsof reference indicate corf-` responding parts. A

Referring to the drawings l designates the frame of the machine, the construction and arrangement of which may vary widely in practice.4 2 designates the driving motor which has its shaft 3 provided with a gear 4 which meshes with a gear 5 xed to a shaft 6 suitably journalled in the frame. l The shaft 6 has fixed to it a gear 7 which meshes with a gear 8, fixed to a shaftV 9 which is journalled in a-hollow Yshaft. 10 carried by the framework of the machine and extending into the feed chamber 11 lof the casing 12. The shaft 9 is also suitably journalled in the frame of the machine and betweenthe gear 8 and the juxtaposed portion of the frame is interposed an anti-friction bearing 13 which serves as a thrust bearing.v

I The auxiliary shaft 6 also has fixed to it a gear 14 which meshes with an idler 15 which latter in turn meshes with a. gear 16 which is fixed to the hollow shaft 10. This hollow shaft 10 is journalled in aslceve bearing 17 of the casing 12 and the inner face of one end of the casing 12 is-recessed as at 18 to receive the head 19 of the hollow shaft. 10.

The gears 8 and 16 have positioned between them a friction washer 20. The head 19 at the inner end of the hollow shaft 10 is provided with the spaced pins 21-which extend into the feed chamber l1 of the casing 12 in order to receive the innerend of the hollow feed screw 22 which latter is in the form ofa helix. The casing 12 is providedwith a substantially vertical disposedside 23 and its opposite side 211inclines inwardly and downwardly. These side walls terminate in a l semi-cylindrical trough portion 25 in which the hollow feed member 22 revolves. kThe ends of the casing 12 curve downwardly as indicated at 26, in order to facilitate the placing of material into the feed chamber 11. v One of the end plates 12 is provided with a discharge opening which leads to the compressor chamber 28 within which is mounted a compressor feed screw 29 having its inner end apertured and provided with the slots 30 100 t its discharge end and at the discharge end is connected to a valve casing 36. This valve casing 36 is provided with an inlet port "37" leading'- from` the, compressor chamber 23' to the chamber 33 of the valve casing` which communicates witha discharge` port 39 which leads into the stuffing spout 40 havingits delivery end preferablycylindrical Yto .receive thecasingg into whichthe material isY to be stuffed.

"The stuiiing spout .flQhas a bayonet, joint connection at 41 with the endof the valve casing-36 and is providedvwith a handle 42e-.to facilitateits assembly and removal from the valvecasing. The valve. casing 38 is also provid'edwith-a ported?) whichcommunicates withla conduites whichdischarges intofthe feed chamber ll. Theports39 and 43 are controlled by means of a valverotatably mounted ingthevalve casing andihavingone end extendingv exterior of 1 the casing and provided-with lan actuating; handle 46.

Thevalve 45 haserrtending from it the side arms et? which terminate 'in .the trunmiens-d8.Y "The valve proper consists of a br: having fits-outer vfa,ceyrounded toaconform to. thefcurvature of the Y`valve chamber 353-.`

and' itsiseof. sufficient width to vcloiserthe port 39 orthe'fport 43zo1f the valve casing;

The-.return conduit 44 which forms a: bypassis. detachably 'connected iin any desired manner with the valvelcafsing V36 ,and iwith the Afeed ,casing 12.V

.operation Wilhno-w 'he apparent'to those skilled .in this Yart and lis asfollnws :--y

Assuming that the Vmotor 2! is running, l.the

gear/l; .connected withits-shaft 3 `will be-driv# en to cause the drive-of the vgear 5 andthe ainriliaryshaft. l Thefgear Tfixefdto:theani;ik iliary gear drives the'gear'fixedtothe*comprBSSor vfeed shaft9 sotliat thelatter will be cbntinuousl-y.. .drivel-1wand..Y as shown by the arrow, 'the shaftl 9V and` also the compressor feed screivr). will-be, driven man anti-clochwise direCt-iQH.

rEhe gear Mais;connectcdwith the near 1.6 by means ofanidler-sefthatsnchgcar .the hollow .shaft l0 will be dri-ven in. a locliwise dir ecti'nn, :as-illustrated, thereby can 'ng the liollowfeed screw-Q-:to revolive in a clockwise direction, orfin'other werds, Vthe helloiv feed f'- `2-2-1evolves inthe oppositefdirection that in which the compressor feed screw 29 revolves.

Special attention is directed to the fact that the compressor feed screw at its inner end en:l tends into the feed chamber ll so that the outer end of the hollow feed screw 2Q overhangs the inner end of the compressor feed screw` 29. rihis causes the material' to be continuously fed to the compressor feed screw Q9 in such a manner as to continuously supply Itheecompressor 'feed screw 29with the material to be stuffed.

The compressor feed screw 29 is ef a solid constructionand.compresses the material as it passes it to the intake opening` 37 of the valve.l

Assuming now that the'valvef) is in such position that the lport @leading to the by,- pas's conduites is closed, thematerial will-pass underpressure through-.the dischargeport. 39 andthroughthe stuffing spout Ll() yinto the casing carried' thereby whichisto receive the material being stuffed.

YIf'it isdesired tostop thestufling operation', ,this-can be accomplishedl without stop ping the machine by actuatingfthe handle 4:6 tomove the valve 45 -into'a position toV close the port'39-:and open'thevvporftrd, sothat1,;a.l tho-ughthe machine fis:continuously rainning,

the 4material will pass from the :valve casing; through the port 43 into the'byfpass conduit 44; an dn will be @returned :to lthe feed casing: Il.

The feed members'are .in axial alignment and, due to the open helicalrform of-the -feed memberQfZ, :the 'material is fed in `the feed chamber 11 without material pressure toy the compressor feed\screw:29 Thenit is desired to clean fthe; machine -it lwill apparent that the Vstuffing.spout 40 can .be ireadily 'removed by actuatingthe -handle 42 Yin 1 a direction to release thebayonet'joint'connection so thatv the stuffing spout can :be 'readily withdrawn.

It 'willbe clear thatrthe-fcompressorcasing` i2-can be 'readily removed vwhen desired,

whereupon the compressor feed: member Y29' can he? withdrawn :andthe hollow :feed screw 22icanzthenhe withdrawn throuchtheportz?.

The by-passrconduit 4:4 can. also' be =readily removeidsovthat the machine and its-fcompenen't partscan'be readily cleaned and be maintained in a sanitary lcondition'.

-It will now tbe apparentthatl havedevised anewanduseful stuifer which vembodies the features of advantage. enumerated 'as desirablein ,they statement of the invention .and the above description, and while Vll 'ha-ve, in the present instance, shown and d escribedl a ,preferred embodiment thereof whichwill give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is `to be understood that this embodiment is susceptible ofy modification in various :pa-rticulars without departing' from the spiritA Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a stufl'er, a casing having intercommunicating feed and compressor chambers, a hollow feed screw in said feed chamber, a compressor feed screw in said compressor chamber and having its inner end extending into said feed chamber with the discharge end of the hollow feed screw overhanging it, and means to drive said feed screws.

2. In a stufer, a casing having intercommunicating feed and compressor chambers, a hollow feed screw in said feed chamber, a compressor feed screw in said compressor chamber and having its inner end extending into said feed chamber with the discharge end of the hollow feed screw overhanging it, and means to drive said feed screws to cause one to revolve in a direction opposite to that of the other.

3. In a stuffer, a casing having a feed chamber and a compressor chamber communicating therewith, a feed screw in said feed chamber, a compressor feed screw in said compressor chamber in axial alignment with said first feed screw, and means to drive said feed screws to cause one to revolve in a direction opposite to that of the other.

4. In a stuifer, intercommunicating feed and compressor chambers, a feed member in said feed chamber in the form of a hollow helix, a compressor feed member in said compressor feed chamber and in alignment with said rst feed member, a valve casing to receive material from said compressor chamber, a stuliing spout detachably connected with said valve casing, a conduit communicating with said feed casing and with said valve casing, nions journalled in said valve casing and a rotatable valve having trun-V material to pass to said stuffing spout or to said return conduit.

6. In a stufer, a feed casing having a discharge port,a hollow drive shaft at one end of the casing having spaced pins, a. compressor drivey shaft passing through said hollow faced screw and into said feed casing, a compressor casing connected with said feed casing, a feed screw in said feed casing interlocking with said pins, a compressor feed screw in said compressor casing having its inner end extending into said feeding casing and detachablyv connected with said compressor drive shaft, the feed screw for said feed casingv being removable. through said discharge port, and means to actuate said drive shafts.

CHARLES W. HOTTMANN.

provided with an offset valve bod)7 controlling the discharge of material from it to said stuing spout or to said feed casing, and means to drive said feed members, the drive for the compressor feed member being independent of the drive for the other feed member and extending longitudinally through it.

5. In a stufler, a casing having a feedy t chamber provided with a discharge port, a

compressor casing detachably connected with f said feed casing and having a chamber communicating with said discharge port, aligned feed members in said chambers and disconnected from each other, a valve casing connected with said compressor casing, a stuing spout detachably connected with said valve casing, a. return conduit from said valve casing detachably connected with said feed casing and communicating therewith, means to revolve said feed members to cause one feed member to revolve in a direction opposite to the direction of revolution of the other member, and a rotatable valve having trunnions journalled in said valve casing and provided with an offset valve body to cause 

